Children&#39;s games



Jan. 8, 1963 o. J. PETRASKE 3,072,409

CHILDREN'S GAMES Filed Feb. 23, 1960 FIG. 2

INVENTOR. arm J. PETIM SAE 3,072,409 Patented Jan. 8, 1963 United States Patent Ofiice 3,072,409 CHILDRENS GAMES Otto John Petraske, 330 N. Carroll St., Madison, Wis. Filed Feb. 23, 1960, Ser. No. 10,513 7 Claims. Cl. 273-138) This invention relates to childrens games and more particularly to a game of chance playable by one or two players wherein each playercauses a projectile to be propelled along an elevated rail toward a catapult which when contacted imparts motion to a second object in contact therewith causing the second object to travel along a second rail into a cup. H

An element of chance inthe playing of the game exists in the probability relationship that the first mentioned projectile will engage the catapult while passing along the rail and actuate it or that it will fail to engage the catapult while traveling along its fixed path.

The game is constructed so that the projectile may travel along the elevated rail in such a manner that it is free to rotate about the rail. The mass center of the projectile is disposed at a point on the axis of a hole extending longitudinally through the projectile, said hole being disposed to accommodate the elevated rail upon which the projectile travels. The projectile is configured symmetrically so that it is enabled to rotate freely with constant angular velocity about an axis which coincides with both the axis of symmetry of the projectile and the axis of the above mentioned hole.

The main body portion of the projectile has, in the preferred embodiment, a simulated aerodynamic shape, with fins projecting radially from the main body periphery a distance sufiicient to contact one extremity of a catapult lever when one of said fins is disposed between the rail and the catapult while the object is traversing the rail adjacent to the catapult. Upon contacting the catapult, if that is the case, the inertia of the projectile is imparted as kinetic energy to the catapult thereby actuating it and causing it to impart motion to a second object placed in the opposite end of the lever of the catapult. The second object travels along and beyond a second elevated rail into a cup as shown. This game is simple and easy to play and an object of it is to provide an entertaining and amusing game for children.

A further object of this invention is to provide a safe and simple toy of sturdy construction for use by children.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the invention; and

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of the invention showing two identical game embodiments mounted upon a common base for use by two players.

In FIGURES 1 and 2 the preferred embodiment of the invention is shown wherein spring 10 is patterned as shown from spring material such as tempered steel or resin bonded glass fibers and is anchored to base 11 by screws 12. Other fastening means such as bolts, rivets, staples or adhesive may be used as fastening means in place of screws 12. Spring 10 is constructed to have a bifurcated extremity, members of which pass along either side of rail 13 in a yoke-like manner and terminate with a flared extremity 14 as shown. The flared extremity 14 of spring 10 may be flat or it may be configured in any manner suitable for receiving pressure applied to it by a finger tip of one of the players. Such pressure when applied compresses spring 10 into close proximity to base 11 and when released suddenly it propels projectile 15 along rail 13.

Projectile 15 is comprised of body 16, fins 17 and centered longitudinal hole 18. Rail 13 extends through hole 18 and is fixedly attached to base member 11 at both ends by suitable means such as by press fitting ends of rail 13 into drilled holes in base member 11 and binding them thereto by adhesive.

Projectile 15 contains hole 18 which is of a diameter sufliciently great to allow projectile 15 to rotate freely around rail 13. There is, therefore, only chance probability that a fin 17 on projectile 15 will extend radially inward from rail 13 and will contact catapult lever 21 when projectile 15 is in close proximity to catapult 20. It is only when a fin 17 of projectile 15 is so disposed that catapult 20 will be actuated so as to propel ring 25 along rail 26 and into cup 27. Lever 21 of catapult 20 is pivotally attached to standard 22 by pivot 23. Lever 21 extends into close probimity to rail 26 and supports a ring 25 on one extremity, ring 25 being threaded onto rail 26 as shown. The opposite extremity of catapult arm 21 is disposed to be in close adjacency to projectile body 16 when projectile 15 traverses rail 13 past catapult 20. Projectile body 16 cannot contact catapult lever 21 in passing, but projectile fin 17 will contact catapult lever 21 if projectile 15 is so disposed while passing the extremity of catapult lever 21 as to have a fin 17 interposed between rail 13 and catapult 20.

Thus, it is seen that the probability that catapult lever 21 will be contacted by projectile 15 depends on the width of catapult lever 21 the width of projectile fins 17, and the number of projectile fins 17 that appear on projectile 15. The preferred embodiment shown contains four projectile fins 17 on projectile 15, this arrangement of fins 17 having proved to be interesting and entertaining to players engaged in playing the game.

A post 28 is shown for storing several rings 25 while said rings are not in use.

The game illustrated in FIGURE '2 is arranged for participation by two players and is comprised of two such embodiments as described, said embodiments being 'arranged to be played by players situated on opposite sides of base member 11. Of course, one player alone may play the game if he so desires since there is no interaction of the individual embodiments used by each player.

Having now described my invention I intend that its scope shall be limited only by the scope of the claims.

I claim:

1. An amusement device of the type described comprising a base member, an elevated arched rail fixedly attached at the end extremities thereof to said base member, a projectile comprising a body disposed to travel on said rail and a plurality of fin members afiixed to said body, a spring device adjacent to one end extremity of said arched rail, said spring device so disposed as to enable said projectile to be accelerated along said rail when said spring is actuated, a lever pivotally attached to a standard, said lever having one end thereof in an elevated position in near adjacency to the second end extremity of said rail and spaced apart therefrom a distance sufficient to enable said projectile body to pass therebetween, but insuficient to enable said projectile to pass entirely therebetween when one of said fin members is oriented intermediate therebetween, an object of annular shape placeable on the lowered end of said lever, a guide member aflixed at one end to said base member and passing through said object on said lever end, a repository adjacent to the remote end of said guide member, a post containing thereon a plurality of objects of annular shape when said objects of annular shape are not used in play.

2. A device as in claim 1 wherein two embodiments as described are placed in reverse direction in side by side adjacency on a common base member.

3. A device as in claim 1 wherein two embodiments as described are placed in reverse direction in adjacency on a common base member.

4. An amusement device of the type described comprising a base member, an elevated arched rail fixedly attached at the end extremities thereof to said base memher, a projectile body having contained therein a hole on an axis longitudinally therethrough and coincident with the axis of symmetry of said body and having passing therethrough said arched rail, a plurality of fin members projecting radially from said body and affixed thereto, a spring device disposed adjacent to an end extremity of said arched rail, said spring being disposed so as to enable said projectile to be accelerated along said rail when said spring is manually compressed and released, a lever pivotally attached to a standard, said lever having one end in an elevated position in near adjacency to the second end extremity of said rail and spaced apart therefrom a distance insufiicient to enable said projectile body and one of said fin members to pass therebetween when said one of said fins is oriented intermediate therebetween, said lever having an opposite end extremity in lowered position, a ring of annular disc shape placeable on said op- 4. posite and lowered lever end, a guide member passing through said ring when said ring is so placed on said lever end extremity, a repository for said rings adjacent to the remote end of said guide member.

5. A device as in claim 4 wherein two embodiments as described are placed in reverse direction in side by side adjacency on a common base member.

6. A device as in claim 4 wherein two embodiments are placed in reverse direction in adjacency on a common base member.

7. A device as in claim 4 wherein a plurality of embodiments as described are adjacently mounted on a common base.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,174,735 Kerr Mar. 7, 1916 1,853,620 Johnson Apr. 12, 1932 2,192,096 Minger Feb. 27, 1940 

1. AN AMUSEMENT DEVICE OF THE TYPE DESCRIBED COMPRISING A BASE MEMBER, AN ELEVATED ARCHED RAIL FIXEDLY ATTACHED AT THE END EXTREMITIES THEREOF TO SAID BASE MEMBER, A PROJECTILE COMPRISING A BODY DISPOSED TO TRAVEL ON SAID RAIL AND A PLURALITY OF FIN MEMBERS AFFIXED TO SAID BODY, A SPRING DEVICE ADJACENT TO ONE END EXTERMITY OF SAID ARCHED RAIL, AND SPRING DEVICE SO DISPOSED AS TO ENABLE SAID PROJECTILE TO BE ACCELERATED ALONG SAID RAIL WHEN SAID SPRING IS ACTUATED, A LEVER PIVOTALLY ATTACHED TO A STANDARD, SAID LEVER HAVING ONE END THEREOF IN AN ELEVATED POSITION IN NEAR ADJACENCY TO THE SECOND END EXTREMITY OF SAID RAIL AND SPACED APART THEREFROM A DISTANCE SUFFICIENT TO ENABLE SAID PROJECTILE BODY TO PASS THEREBETWEEN, BUT INSUFFICIENT TO ENABLE SAID PROJECTILE TO PASS ENTIRELY THEREBETWEEN WHEN ONE OF SAID FIN MEMBERS IS ORIENTED INTERMEDIATE THEREBETWEEN, AN OBJECT OF ANNULAR SHAPE PLACEABLE ON THE LOWERED END OF SAID LEVER, A GUIDE MEMBER AFFIXED AT ONE END TO SAID BASE MEMBER AND PASSING THROUGH SAID OBJECT ON SAID LEVER END, A REPOSITORY ADJACENT TO THE REMOTE END OF SAID GUIDE MEMBER, A POST CONTAINING THEREON A PLURALITY OF OBJECTS OF ANNULAR SHAPE WHEN SAID OBJECTS OF ANNULAR SHAPE ARE NOT USED IN PLAY. 